The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.
The pregame narrative: Toronto snapped a five-game losing streak on Tuesday, but remains near the bottom of the Eastern Conference while dealing with a laundry list of injuries. This game is a pick’em, with the Blue Jackets having already beaten the Maple Leafs in Toronto earlier this year.
Check out my Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for the game on Nov. 20, featuring Zach Werenski and Easton Cowan.
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Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs prop picks
Best Bet: Werenski over 3.5 shots (+105)
The Maple Leafs might’ve snapped their winless streak, but that doesn’t paper over what they’ve been all season long: An awful defensive team.
Toronto is giving up the fourth-most shot attempts (63.66) and second-most shots (30.89) on a 60-minute basis, per Natural Stat Trick.
Two of the team’s top-four defencemen (Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev) are sidelined alongside Auston Matthews, so I can’t picture things getting better in the short term.
The one bit of good news for Toronto is that Joseph Woll is back, and he’s capable of stealing games.
-> Bet on Werenski against the Maple Leafs
That’s why I’m opting to back Werenski on this shot total instead of on a point-production market.
The 28-year-old is one of the best offensive defencemen in hockey. He finished second in Norris Trophy voting last year and is a shoo-in to make the U.S. Olympic team in February.
- Werenski is leading the Blue Jackets in shots (72), shot attempts (168), and ice time.
- That nets out to 3.6 shots per game and 8.4 shot attempts per game.
Key stat: Werenski has cleared this total in seven of 10 games in November.
Best NHL prop picks
Cowan to score 1+ points (+108): Cowan slid back into Toronto’s lineup two games ago out of necessity, and he’s played well despite logging zero points.
In both games, his forward line logged the highest Corsi rate:
- Nov. 15 @ CHI: Matthew Knies-Nicolas Roy-Cowan (81.25%)
- Nov. 18 vs. STL: Bobby McMann-Max Domi-Cowan (61.11%)
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Cowan has had eight chances, five shots and 0.66 xG in those games.
It’s unclear who he’ll be playing with tonight, but Daily Faceoff projects him back with McMann and Domi.
The London Knights product has always been a point producer, and gets a solid matchup against Columbus. The Blue Jackets are allowing the 11th-most goals (3.20) and third-most shots (30.6) per game.
Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs prop picks made at 9:30 a.m. ET Nov. 20, 2025.
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Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.